2013年8月31日星期六

August 31

By TEREZ A. PAYLOR

The Kansas City Star

COLUMBIA — It is halftime of Missouri’s season opener at Memorial Stadium, and the Tigers lead Murray State 30-14. Here are five quick observations.

L.G. Patterson | AP Missouri's Russell Hansbrough, top, is hoisted in the air by teammate Mitch Morse, bottom, after he scored a touchdown during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Murray State Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

L.G. Patterson | AP Missouri's Braylon Webb runs downfield after he intercepted a pass during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Murray State Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

1. Senior quarterback James Franklin has been sharp, for the most part. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 240 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed five times for 18 yards and did a nice job escaping pressure when the pocket broke down. He did get bailed out one play, however, when an errant pass that would have likely resulted in a pick six was dropped by a Murray State defender.

2. The Tigers’ running backs looked pretty strong in the first half. Junior Henry Josey, who was making his first appearance since a devastating knee injury in 2011, took his first carry for 12 yards and finished the half with 40 yards on nine carries. The star, however, was sophomore Russell Hansbrough, who finished the half with 104 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. One of his touchdown runs was an impressive 51-yard jaunt in which he reached the second level of the defense and raced untouched to the end zone.

3. The Tigers’ offense often pushed the tempo, trying to rip off as many plays as possible. It was a noticeable departure from last season, something the Tigers were able to do Saturday because of the lack of momentum-breaking plays. The Tigers finished the half with only one turnover, a fumble by receiver Bud Sasser, but the Tigers’ wideouts looked pretty good, as a whole. Dorial Green-Beckham, Jaleel Clark and Sasser each had four receptions apiece.

4. Missouri’s defense had a hard time containing Murray State quarterback Maikhail Miller early in the game. Miller, a transfer from Ole Miss, often hurt the Tigers by scrambling on broken plays. He racked up 75 yards on ten carries, though he was a bit inconsistent passing the ball, finishing the half 12 for 22 for 122 yards, a touchdown and an interception. It’s worth noting that after the Racers took a 14-13 lead into the second quarter, the Tigers went on a 17-0 run to close the half.

5. It was a rough half for Missouri’s special teams. Kicker Andrew Baggett had an extra point blocked and also missed a 30-yard field goal, but Baggett redeemed himself some with a 43-yard field goal that put the Tigers ahead 30-14 right before halftime.

andy lundberg Time for a team hug with Benny Feilhaber at its center after Feilhaber scorred during the soccer match between Sporting KC and the Colorado Rockies August 31, 2013 at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.

Sporting Kansas City, which had lost four of five games entering a showdown against the Colorado Rapids on a muggy Saturday night at Sporting Park, grabbed a first-half lead and largely dominated possession as usual.

But Edson Buddle’s 77th minute goal, which was deflected in by Matt Besler, put a damper on the club’s 30th consecutive sellout in MLS play (19,579).

Desperate to avoid another distasteful result, Sporting KC knuckled up in the final 10 minutes and secured all three points when Graham Zusi delivered an 88th-minute game-winner.

Zusi’s fifth goal of the season snapped Colorado’s nine-match unbeaten streak and vaulted Sporting KC into a three-way tie atop the Eastern Conference with the 2-1 win.

Right back Chance Myers started the game-winning sequence by lofting a cross high into the box from the right flank toward the left post.

C.J. Sapong immediately knew he had no chance to attack the ball and try to direct a header on frame, so he backpedaled and — after a quick scan of the players in front of him — nodded a centering pass to an unmarked Zusi, who calmly buried a right-footed shot past Rapids goalkeeper Clint Irwin.

From the opening whistle, Sporting KC was dominant, controlling more than 70 percent of the possession during the first 30 minutes.

Still, with Oscar Pareja’s squad packing numbers behind the ball, it already had become clear that it would take something special to crack open Colorado’s defense.

Midfielder Benny Feilhaber delivered in that fateful 33rd minute, tucking a wicked 30-yard knuckler high inside left post with the outside of his right foot.

Seconds earlier, forward Dom Dwyer, who made his first MLS start, won a 50/50 ball with a sliding challenge. The ball took a deflection off Rapids midfielder Hendry Thomas and fell into Feilhaber’s path for the golazo.

Feilhaber’s goal snapped a 213-minute scoreless streak, but it wasn’t enough by itself.

Seven minutes after entering the match in the 70th minute, Buddle unleashed a low roller from 25 yards out toward the right post.

Nielsen looked to have it covered, but centerback Matt Besler deflected the ball with a swing of his right leg, redirecting the ball toward the far post and past his befuddled goalkeeper for the equalizer.

Before that, Colorado didn’t have many chances, but nearly took the lead against the run of play in the 22nd minute.

Confusion on the backline allowed forward Deshorn Brown to race past, winning a footrace to a long pass into the box from defender Shane O’Neill.

Brown, who is among the leading MLS rookie of the year candidates, tried to beat goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen with a gentle header toward the right post, but Nielsen snuffed the chance with a diving save.

With the urgency ramped up after Feilhaber’s third goal of the season, the Rapids closed the first half strong.

Brown nearly drew Colorado even in the 45th minute when he backpedaled to stay onside, collected a cross and rifled a dipping shot at the sailed over the bat and clipped the back of the net on the way down.

On the ensuing Dillon Powers corner kick, Colorado got no fewer than three more point-blank cracks at the equalizer.

Midfielder Hendry Thomas powered a header into the ground, but it bounced off the crossbar.

Hendry sent the rebound back on frame with a sliding stab, but it was deflected by teammate Gabriel Torres, who then tried to wheel for a left-footed shot from directly in front of goal only to have centerback Aurelien Collin finally clear the threat.

August 31

By RANDY COVITZ

The Kansas City Star

The Chiefs on Saturday traded linebacker Edgar Jones to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for an undisclosed draft pick.

JOHN SLEEZER | The Kansas City Star San Francisco 49ers quarterback B.J. Daniels (5) avoided the sack by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Anthony Toribio (98) and linebacker Edgar Jones (99) in the fourth quarter during Friday's football game on August 16, 2013, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

By now, you have probably heard about the NFL’s landmark settlement of what became known as The Concussion Lawsuit. This is, effectively, the NFL washing its hands of liability for the brain injuries suffered by so many of its former players. But if you think this issue is over, you should hear the story of Derek Sheely.

Sheely was a 22-year-old college fullback whom friends described as happy and generous, teammates knew as hard-working and diligent, and who can be seen on a video calling football “the greatest game invented on the face of the earth.” He was academic all-conference at a Division III school in Maryland and wanted to work for the government.

Instead, he died six days after collapsing during a practice two years ago. His parents dropped him off at Frostburg State one week; he was in a coma the next.

Sheely’s family hired the Kansas City-based Popham Law Firm to sue the NCAA, coaches at his school, and the helmet manufacturer Schutt Sports. Their allegations will break your heart and boil your blood.

“Derek’s life was sacrificed to a sport,” according to the lawsuit.

Sheely had been bleeding from his forehead after a drill in which his coaches encouraged players to lead with their helmets. Studies have shown that after an initial trauma, smaller impacts can do greater damage without proper precaution and recovery time from the first hit, and the NCAA has procedures in place to treat concussions.

According to the lawsuit, those procedures weren’t followed with Sheely, who was evaluated four times without a concussion test. He told coaches he “didn’t feel right” and had a headache. But a coach screamed to “stop your (complaining) and moaning and quit acting like a (wimp) and get back out there!”

Sheely collapsed soon after, and never regained consciousness. He died of what the lawsuit describes as “brain herniation, an acute subdural hematoma, and massive vascular engorgement.”

The Sheely family will tell their story to ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday. A spokeswoman for Frostburg State, where Sheely was the starting fullback, declined comment. Messages left with the NCAA and Schutt were not returned.

If anything positive can come of this, let’s hope it emphasizes the scope of an issue that extends much closer to home than football’s highest level. In sheer volume, context, compensation and the level of care available, head injuries in football are a much bigger problem in college and below.

There were 4,500 plaintiffs in the lawsuit settled by the NFL. In the 2011-12 academic year, the NCAA had 450,000 student-athletes, including 70,000 football players. Compare that 1,696 men are on 53-man NFL rosters at any given point in a season, and there are 41 times more college players involved in potentially life-altering collisions under generally less supervision.

Concussions have received much attention in recent years, and that’s a good thing, but the light often shines on the NFL when by any reasonable measure there are far more head injuries suffered in lower levels.

The Sheely family’s cause was reinforced on Thursday, opening night for the college football season, when a national television audience saw Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews staggering on his feet and then vomiting after a hit that ended with the back of his helmet slamming against the turf. Matthews was back in the game moments later, even making a key fourth-down catch.

After the game, Matthews said he was suffering cramps, took in a lot of fluids to rehydrate, and was throwing up those fluids. He may very well have been regurgitating excess fluids, but he wasn’t out of the game long enough for trainers to perform mandated concussion tests.

These are different young men and different situations, but a lack of care in treating a concussion is what the Sheely family is blaming for Derek’s death.

There is no way to know exactly what happens in every practice at the hundreds of teams across all divisions (not to mention junior colleges, the NAIA and high schools) but it’s naïve to think Frostburg State is the only place this could happen.

The lawsuit alleges “utter incompetence, egregious misconduct, false hope and a reckless disregard for player health and safety” for Sheely’s death. The 66-page complaint describes at least four key points in which Sheely’s symptoms could’ve been diagnosed and quotes one of his teammates describing the practices as “out of control.”

In one scene, the players are going through something similar to the “Oklahoma drill,” only with a more dangerous twist. In Frostburg’s version, a fullback is told to block full-speed into a linebacker, who is not allowed to defend himself from the hit. The head coach is alleged to have ordered the players to tackle and lead with their helmets. Those who didn’t were cursed out and made to do the drill again.

After Sheely died, coaches at Frostburg changed the drill.

They gave the linebacker a blocking shield for protection.

The Sheely lawsuit seeks more than $1.5 million in damages, but in a recent interview with The Star, Popham lawyer Dirk Vandever said he thought the family would settle for the NCAA adopting what could be called “the Derek Sheely rule” with enforced guidelines aimed at preventing future tragedies.

“I truly hope and expect (those who hear Sheely’s story) will take up the fight either for Derek or for someone else,” Vandever says. “And there needs to be enforcement of the NCAA rule that’s already on the books (regarding treatment of concussions).”

Regardless of how the Sheely family’s lawsuit ends, this is an important reminder for the rest of us that the consequences of head injuries extend much further than the famous men we watch on Sundays.

Those men, at least, are well-compensated and have generally better access to medical attention. There are many more young men suffering many more head injuries away from the spotlight, and closer to home.

August 31

By BRAD COOPER

The Kansas City Star

The shooting occurred about 3:30 p.m. in the 4700 block of East 40th Place, just west of Vineyard Park southeast of downtown.

When police arrived at the tan-colored ranch house, they found one critically injured man on the front porch shot in the arm. The other man was dead inside the house. The glass in the front door had been shattered.

A police spokesman said a boy and girl were in the house when the shooting occurred. The children, who were not injured, were being cared for by relatives. Their father was believed to be the man who was injured.

Authorities are looking for two men driving a gold-colored sport-utility vehicle with large chrome wheels that was seen leaving the scene at a high speed.

However, police are not certain the vehicle was involved in the shooting.

They are hoping the surviving victim might be able to fill in details about what might have led to the shooting.

“We don’t know what happened,” said Darin Snapp, Kansas City police spokesman. “The only witness we have right now is saying she saw a vehicle leaving the scene right after the shooting.”

If you have any information, you are asked to call the Tips hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (8477).

LAWRENCE — Construction could begin within weeks on a highway project in Lawrence that has been the subject of debate and litigation for more than 20 years, according to state transportation officials.

The Kansas Department of Transportation is scheduled to award bids for the South Lawrence Trafficway on Sept. 18, and construction on the $190 million project is expected to begin by mid-October or November, said Jonathan Marburger, project manager for the transportation department.

The state has been trying to build the highway in south Lawrence since the early 1990s as a way to divert highway and truck traffic around Lawrence. Once completed, the 14-mile route will connect Interstate 70 with Kansas 10. If construction begins in the fall, the project could be completed by the fall of 2016, Marburger said.

Marburger said some of the first work will likely occur in the Baker Wetlands, an area that has been the center of the debate.

Opponents have said the project will damage the wetlands and is disrespectful of the spiritual importance the wetlands have to Native American groups. Opponents filed numerous lawsuits and held protests to delay the project.

The opponents were careful when asked if protests are planned when the work begins, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.

“If there is a protest planned, I don’t think I would want to discuss it in the newspaper now,” said Michael Caron, leader of the Save the Wakarusa Wetlands organization. “I think it is very fair to say that it (construction) won’t go unmarked.”

Marburger said state officials aren’t making special plans for possible protests when construction begins.

“We'll just work with our contractor and our public-involvement professionals to respond to whatever may come up,” Marburger said. “If people want to do something to speak out, we are hopeful they will do it in a civil way.”

The project includes a $20 million mitigation program to add about 260 acres of new wetlands to the area and establish an endowment for Baker University to care for the property.

City officials hope the highway will boost the city’s economy, particularly attracting tenants to a new industrial park being built on Lawrence’s eastern edge.

“I’m in a business where it is easy to overstate,” City Manager David Corliss told city commissioners recently. “But I think it is very difficult to overstate the importance of this project to the community.”

Lamar Odom was seen for the first time since his DUI arrest (barely) ... getting around the only way he can now ... IN A TAXI.

TMZ broke the story ... Lamar was popped for a DUI in L.A. early Friday morning after cops believed he was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Lamar refused all chemical tests and as a result his driver's license was suspended for year.

As for where he was headed ... the agency who took the photos claims they were snapped outside the gated community where Khloe and Lamar's house is. But frankly, it's hard to tell.

August 31

The Associated Press

Auction house Historics said the queen used the vehicle from 2001 to 2004 to travel around Windsor Castle and to go to and from Buckingham Palace. It says the monarch at times drove the car herself, and sometimes was driven in it.

The auction house says the car comes with several modifications, including an adapted arm rest with a sliding space designed to hold the queen's handbag. It added that the interior features lambs' wool rugs and other extra fittings.

The car was sold to an unnamed buyer in Surrey, near London, on Saturday.

On an afternoon when they made a slew of impressive defensive plays, it was an error by shortstop Alcides Escobar in the eighth inning that proved decisive in a crushing 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays.

Aaron Crow’s bases-loaded, two-out walk to Brett Lawrie — on four pitches — produced the game-winning run. Crow made it worse by following that with a four-pitch walk to Rajai Davis.

When manager Ned Yost walked to the mound to summon Tim Collins, he blistered minor-league umpire Will Little for his strike zone on both ends of the round trip.

That resulted in Yost’s ejection.

The Royals were already unhappy with Little for a dreadful missed call at first base Friday night that blunted an eighth-inning comeback in a 3-2 loss in the season opener.

While Crow’s walks were ruinous, the Royals should been out of the inning with a 2-1 lead if not for Escobar’s error. All three of Toronto’s run were unearned.

The Royals are now 69-66 and those renewed postseason hopes, which blossomed earlier this week with a five-game winning streak, are now back on life support.

Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie permitted one run and eight hits in seven innings before handing a 2-1 lead to Kelvin Herrera. Guthrie struck out four, walked none and benefited from a bushel of terrific defensive plays.

It slipped away in a hurry in the eighth.

Herrera, 5-7, began the inning by yielding a single to pinch-hitter Munenori Kawasaki on a grounder back through the box. Anthony Gose popped to short, but Jose Reyes floated a single into center.

That moved Kawasaki to second and prompted the Royals to replace Herrera with Will Smith for a left-on-left matchup with Ryan Goins.

It should have worked.

Smith got Goins to hit a potential double-play grounder to Escobar at short — but Escobar booted the ball. Kawasaki scored the tying run, and the Jays had runners at first and second with no outs.

A walk to Edwin Encarnacion loaded the bases. When Toronto sent Mark DeRosa up as a pinch-hitter for Adam Lind, the Royals countered by bringing in Aaron Crow.

DeRosa struck out on three pitches, but Crow walked the next two hitters, on eight pitches, and that was it. Or it was when Casey Janssen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 26th save.

The Royals, as they did Friday, didn’t go quietly against Janssen. They put runners at first and third with one out before he closed out the game. J.P. Arencibia threw out pinch-runner Chris Getz at second for the final out.

The victory went to Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who yielded single runs in the second and third innings on RBIs singles by Escobar and Eric Hosmer.

Other than that, Dickey was flutteringly dominant over eight innings in improving to 11-12. He gave up two runs and seven hits.

It all looked good until the eighth — largely because the Royals backed Guthrie with a series of web gems.

One example: Guthrie yielded a leadoff single in the sixth to Reyes on an 0-2 fastball. Goins struck out on a nasty breaking ball before Encarnacion’s grounder to third turned into a double play.

Second baseman Emilio Bonifacio, a former Jay booed all weekend, made a nice pivot with Reyes bearing down.

More defense limited Toronto to one run in the seventh.

Hosmer snatched a leadoff single from Adam Lind with a diving stop on a grounder to first. The Jays finally broke through against Guthrie after Davis’ two-out double to left center when Josh Thole sliced a single to left.

But Thole tried for second — and was thrown out by Alex Gordon. It was Gordon’s second assist of the game and league-leading 14th of the season. Right fielder David Lough also had an assist.

That defense started early.

The Jays threatened in the first when Goins grounded a single up the middle and, running on a 3-2 pitch, tried for third on Encarnacion’s grounder through the left side.

Gordon charged the ball and made a snap throw to third for the second out.

It turned into a big play when Lind followed with a line single to right, which moved Encarnacion to third, before Guthrie retired Lawrie on a chopper back to the mound.

The Royals opened the scoring after Salvy Perez drew a one-out walk in the second. Successive two-out singles by Jarrod Dyson and Escobar produced the run.

Bonifacio opened the third inning with a triple into the right-center gap, which turned into a run when Hosmer followed with a single to left.

Guthrie benefited from more outfield defense in the third when Lough thwarted Reyes’ one-out bid to stretch a single into a double.

Orlin Wagner | AP Photo North Dakota State quarterback Brock Jensen (16) falls backwards into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown late in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan., Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. North Dakota State defeated Kansas State 24-21.

Those were the first words that came out of Bill Snyder’s mouth following a disappointing 24-21 loss to North Dakota State on Friday night. He was upset. He was angry. He said the K-State football team let its fans down.

They were all understandable thoughts and emotions considering the Wildcats blew a 21-7 lead and opened their season with a loss to a (very good) Football Championship Subdivision team. They are the defending Big 12 champions and they were playing their first game in front of a huge crowd in a renovated stadium. This will go down as a memorable defeat the same way losses to Fresno State and Marshall did years ago.

How did it happen? A look at all that and more in this week’s Saturday Rewind:

THREE THOUGHTS

1. K-State’s running game was awful

Here is how poorly K-State ran the ball against North Dakota State: It managed a measly 41 yards on 23 attempts, despite Jake Waters doing all he could to open up the field by completing 21 of 29 passes for 280 yards. The Bison were getting beat deep and trying to adjust, but the Wildcats couldn’t take advantage on the ground. The biggest problem seemed to be the offensive line, which was missing Boston Stiverson (foot injury). The unit returned six starters from last year’s team, and was expected to be an absolute monster this year, one of the best in the Big 12. But it struggled against North Dakota State, a team it should have outclassed in both talent and depth. But John Hubert didn’t do the offensive line any favors. He rushed for 23 yards on 10 carries, and spent most of his time running horizontally. Had he spent more time running up field and making defenders miss K-State might have been better off. Instead, K-State asked Waters to run 11 times. Not ideal. He gained a yard. K-State needed better blocking, running and play-calling.

2. K-State couldn’t defend the middle.

Go back and look at the majority of Brock Jensen’s big passes. Just about all of them came across the middle. North Dakota State was also strong running over the middle with misdirection and delayed draws. The Bison did some creative things to lure K-State defenders to the perimeter when they were in man coverage, leaving the middle wide open for tight ends and running backs. The Wildcats adjusted to a zone look in the second half, but defenders were unable to close their gaps and swat down passes. That hurt them badly, especially on North Dakota State’s game-winning drive. The Bison overpowered them for 215 rushing yards and third-down conversion after third-down conversion.

3. This loss will hang over K-State all season, but how much will it hurt in the long run?

Losing to a FCS team, even the best FCS team in the nation, takes a while to move past. Just ask Michigan. I heard from a handful of pessimistic K-State supporters after the game who thought this loss would prevent the Wildcats from qualifying for a bowl. Their theory: If K-State can’t beat North Dakota State, who can it beat? I wouldn’t go that far, just yet. Snyder’s teams tend to improve as the year goes along, the next two games are very winnable (though Louisiana-Lafayette won’t be easy) and K-State gets five Big 12 games at home. A better question: will K-State respond to this the way it did in 2003 when it lost to Marshall and rallied to win a Big 12 championship? Will it respond the way it did in 2004 when it lost badly to Fresno State and stumbled to a 4-7 disaster? Or will it respond the way it did in 2009 when it went 6-6 after losing to Lafayette?

PLAYER EVALUATIONS

A few that were good:

Jake Waters

When he was on, he was on. Waters connected on 21 of 29 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns. Both of the scores came on deep balls of 45-plus yards. He can throw it better than any K-State quarterback since Josh Freeman. He also threw two interceptions (one awful, the other out of desperation), which isn’t ideal, and he didn’t have much success in the running game. But neither did anyone else. Overall he played well.

Tyler Lockett

He is going to catch a lot of passes and pile up a lot of yards this season. Lockett caught seven balls for 113 yards and a touchdown on Friday. With Waters under center, Lockett is in for a big year.

Tramaine Thompson

Hard to complain about six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown. Lockett and Thompson did all they could. The rest of the offense needs to pick it up.

Blake Slaughter

K-State’s new starting middle linebacker made 10 tackles, including two sacks. On a day when the defense didn’t play that well, Slaughter came through with solid plays.

Dorian Roberts

When a cornerback makes five tackles and breaks up two passes, he played well. Roberts was good against the pass all night.

Daniel Sams

He scored a touchdown on a 17-yard run the second he entered the game. Instant offense. Snyder said he regretted not using him more.

A few that were bad:

John Hubert

Some argued he would have a pair of 1,000-yard seasons if not for Collin Klein eating up so many of his carries. On Friday, it looked like he benefited from all the attention defenses showed Klein in the running game over the past two years. Hubert gained 17 of his 23 yards on one run. He spent too much time moving side-to-side.

Offensive line

Keenan Taylor was the weakest link on the offensive line. At one point, he let a North Dakota State defender through so quickly he was able tackle Hubert near the moment of hand-off. But it’s hard to say any of K-State’s five main blockers played well. Cornelius Lucas committed a false start on the opening drive, something you would have never seen last year. Perhaps all those returning starters took their success for granted. Maybe it was something else. Whatever the case, they didn’t perform nearly well enough.

Defensive line

Jensen had all the time he wanted to throw. Even when K-State got him, aside from a few good plays from Ryan Mueller, coverage did most of the work.

Dante Barnett

Barnett in the bad section? Yes, he had an important interception and he delivered a few big hits. But his run defense was sub-par (see below). The safety made poor reads and whiffed on tackles too many times.

GAME IN A PLAY

A 66-yard run from Sam Ojuri in the third quarter summarized the game. North Dakota State was backed up in front of its own end zone following an excellent punt, but ended up in scoring range within seconds.

Let’s break it down:

North Dakota State was clearly going to run on this play, lining up only one receiver to the right. K-State responds by loading eight defenders in the box. The Wildcats wanted to stop this play quick, and maybe even get a safety.

After a slight shift from North Dakota State, K-State now has nine defenders in the box waiting to stuff the run.

As Ojuri takes the hand-off in the end zone, his blockers are setting up a nice lane for him in the middle. But K-State has two defenders and a safety (not shown) waiting to limit his yardage just in case he breaks through the line.

Every North Dakota State blocker handles his assignment, meaning Ojuri is going to gain yardage. But Dante Barnett is still in good shape to tackle him after a few yards. Instead, he overruns the play and winds up getting beat before Ojuri can reach the 8.

Randall Evans ends up having to chase Ojuri down and hope a push tackle takes him down. K-State defenders were in position to stop Ojuri, they simply failed to do so.

North Dakota State ended up getting a field goal on this drive, which was the difference in the game.

Coaching Critique

It seemed like K-State coaches couldn’t decide how to call plays. Waters had great success throwing quick passes to the perimeter and going down field, but the Wildcats rarely stuck with strategy for long. Too often, Waters was asked to run when he should have been throwing.

Statistically speaking

North Dakota State rushed for 215 yards. K-State rushed for 41 yards. That was the difference in the game.

Worth Noting

K-State hasn’t done a good job with debuts the past few years. Anyone remember when the Wildcats brought the “Family” wood out against Oklahoma and lost 58-17 two seasons ago? The Wildcats are now 0-1 in their renovated stadium, with Snyder’s statue looking on.

Twitter Reaction

Quote to note

“You never want to make history on the negative side, but for us it is going to be a test of our character and a test of our team to see if we are going to shut down or come together.” – Ty Zimmerman.

August 31

By DAVID ESPO

AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON — Officials in the Obama administration and on Capitol Hill say President Barack Obama intends to seek congressional approval for action against Syria.

Charles Dharapak | AP Photo Secretary of State John Kerry makes a statement about Syria at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. Kerry said the U.S. knows, based on intelligence, that the Syrian regime carefully prepared for days to launch a chemical weapons attack.

Obama will speak on the developments in Syria from the Rose Garden on Saturday.

The officials insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak ahead of the president

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

President Barack Obama's national security team was to consult senators Saturday about Syria while House Speaker John Boehner invited House members to return early from their August break for a classified briefing as the White House readied for a possible military strike.

Vice President Joe Biden, who was scheduled to be in Delaware this weekend, was instead at the White House, where Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry joined him.

Hagel, Kerry and others were to consult by phone Saturday afternoon with Senate Democrats and Republicans. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Obama's national security adviser, Susan Rice, also were to participate.

The White House said the calls would be unclassified, meaning officials would be limited in what they can say.

But on Sunday, the White House planned a classified, in-person briefing for House members, according to a notice from Boehner's office to House Republican staffers. House Democrats were planning to invite their members as well.

"This will be one of many classified briefings," read the invitation. "However, given the numerous requests made, the speaker wanted members to have an opportunity this weekend."

The briefing was coming a day after the administration publicly released an unclassified intelligence report concluding that Syrian President Bashar Assad's government killed more than 1,400 last week in a chemical attack. A classified version of the assessment arrived on Capitol Hill late Friday night, the GOP notice said, and was available for all House members to review.

Obama is considering a limited military strike in response to the chemical attack, but said Friday he had not yet made a decision.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Driving without auto insurance could mean losing out on court damages if Missouri lawmakers push forward with an effort to override one of Gov. Jay Nixon's vetoes.

Orlin Wagner | ASSOCIATED PRESS Gov. Jay Nixon speaks

Under the legislation, drivers lacking insurance would forfeit the ability to collect for noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering from an insured driver who is at fault. The lawsuit restrictions would not apply if the insured driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol or is convicted of involuntary manslaughter or second-degree assault. It also would not apply to an uninsured motorist who lost coverage within the past six months for failing to pay premiums.

Missouri requires auto insurance.

Uninsured motorists would lose the right to sue for "huge damages" that are "akin to a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow," said Calvin Call, the executive director of the Missouri Insurance Coalition. He said it could encourage people to comply with the insurance requirement, would limit lawsuits against law-abiding citizens and would prevent those without insurance from driving up costs for the system.

"Society and the Legislature has put in a mandatory financial responsibility law, and if we're going to have a law, then those who violate the law should take on some personal responsibility and forfeit some rights," he said.

The legislation is among 29 non-budgetary bills vetoed by Nixon this summer. Lawmakers return to the state Capitol on Sept. 11 to consider veto overrides. House Speaker Tim Jones said the uninsured motorist bill is one legislators could seek to override.

Some are hoping that does not happen.

Ken Vuylsteke, president-elect of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, said there can be many reasons someone lacks insurance. He said there already are penalties for driving without it and that there is no guarantee insurers would pass any savings along to policyholders.

Vuylsteke said most traffic accidents are caused by someone who has broken a law and that the legislation gives a break to someone who has violated the law and injured another.

"It's a bad piece of legislation. It's bad public policy," he said. "By its very nature, it punishes people who are operating a motor vehicle in a safe manner."

According to the industry-backed Insurance Information Institute, an estimated 13.7 percent of Missouri motorists were uninsured in 2009.

Senators passed the uninsured measure 32-1. It won approval in the House 104-55, and that is shy of the two-thirds majority required for a veto override. Sponsoring Rep. Paul Wieland, R-Imperial, said he has been talking with colleagues and is trying to wrangle the requisite 109 votes. Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey handled the legislation in the Senate.

Nixon announced his veto in early July, stating the legislation was "riddled with ambiguity." The governor said it would prompt excessive litigation over to whom and how to apply the legislation and did not adequately define "uninsured motorist." Nixon said it was unclear whether the lawsuit restrictions would prohibit any causes of action or simply the recovery of certain damages.

Supporters contend existing Missouri law has a definition for uninsured.